


Survivor's Will

by magicianlogician12



Series: Heart of Steel [6]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/F, some pre-romance worry for the other's safety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 22:43:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6629965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicianlogician12/pseuds/magicianlogician12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tabi's been injured. Haylen tries to ease her pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Survivor's Will

Scribe Haylen alternated between frustrated cursing and frantic pacing across the front end of the Cambridge police station. Rhys, half an hour ago, had already grumbled and told her to quit making such a racket, but Haylen had paid him no mind.

Two hours ago, Paladin Danse had been helping a semi-conscious, injured Tabitha through the doors, reporting that they’d encountered a deathclaw near the city limits, and while the battle had been won, it had been won at a cost.

Most of Tabitha’s power armor would have to be scrapped–it had long, cruel tears where the deathclaw had tried to reach the woman inside. Haylen shuddered as she remembered seeing those pieces of metal, almost falling apart. They’d saved Tabitha from much worse, though she hadn’t looked very good to start with.

Haylen had leaped into action as soon as the armor was removed, and while at first glance Tabitha’s injuries had looked severe, it turned out that the most pressing issue was likely blood loss–the city limits were several miles away, and field dressings only helped so much.

Haylen had accomplished all she could for now…yet she still itched to do _more_.

Tabitha had first stumbled onto their group about a month ago, a Vault-dweller still learning her way around a changed world, very different from the way she remembered seeing it. While they had at first been skeptical of her abilities, Tabitha–though on the day they’d met, she’d insisted on being called ‘Tabi’–had proven that she had a reasonable amount of skill, and most importantly, a willingness to learn. It would have been a shame to lose her now when she looked like such a promising addition to the Brotherhood.

And, Haylen admitted to herself as she spared another glance at Tabitha’s sleeping bag, Tabi was her friend. The last thing she wanted was to see this fiery, determined, and courageous woman die.

Another grumble from Rhys in the room’s opposite corner earned a searing glare from Haylen, though the knight didn’t deign to acknowledge it. Carefully stepping over to Tabi’s sleeping back, Haylen knelt and picked up one of the sleeping woman’s hands, warm and surprisingly soft-skinned, save a few new blisters. Her breathing was even and light, and Haylen released a small breath.

Haylen gave Tabi’s hand a slight squeeze and whispered, though she knew the other woman couldn’t possibly have heard, not so soon after her wounds had been treated, “Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

There was a pause, but no answering squeeze, and Haylen felt faintly disappointed. Just as she was about to pull her hand away, she felt an almost imperceptible pressure from Tabi’s long, thin fingers. “Hear you,” the ginger-haired woman muttered, barely audible and barely intelligible–her words were slurred with exhaustion.

Haylen sighed, and it felt as though a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Tabi was a survivor. She wouldn’t keel over now, not if Haylen had anything to say about it.


End file.
